The future's not what it was

julius said:

And I think people also forget that these aren't just young players, they're *REALLY YOUNG* players.
.

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not all of them

Reath is 27
Banton is 24
Camara will be 24 in a month
Murray is 23

at those ages, do any of them have the capacity to make a big off-season leap? Or will it be incremental improvements? I truly don't know

but yes, Walker-Sharpe-Scoot-Ropert are young

obviously, there's a lot of disappointment centered around Scoot, whose pre-draft hype was about 7 tiers ahead of his actual development. And yeah, there's a lot of impatience as well. But mainly, the reality of Scoot's current game is a downer for many. I'm not as down on his upside as some are, but I have seriously lowered my expectations. Last night's game sure didn't help. He really needs an intense off-season and some of it should be when his right hand is tied behind his back forcing him to use his left hand. Because if he can't develop some substantial ability with his off-hand his ceiling is much lower

and there is some worry about Sharpe. A little about his health; more about whether or not he's alpha enough to take over games....and the Blazers need him to be that alpha

so I'd say the concerns about Scoot and Sharpe fit this thread's title because neither had the type of season people were hoping for. Then there are the ownership issues and the inactive trade deadline....and all the chatter about this next draft sucking....and global warming

Experience....

RR7 said:

I know eventually the goal is to give away most of Paul's estate, presumably, in some fashion or another. And there's concern about her collecting a paycheck, so not wanting to sell the franchise. I'm ignorant of these things, so am unsure how exactly this works. Working off of generic #s...

Current estate valued at 20 billion. Lets say that includes the Seahawks valued at 5, the Blazers at 3. So rest of estate in whatever holdings is 12. Let's say her salary is 1% of estate. So what, 100 million annually?

If she sells the Seahawks for their estimated worth in a straight cash deal with Bezos, the estate would still be worth 20 billion no? And she would still collect the same salary? Until that 5 billion is given away. So selling both franchises doesn't eliminate her high presumed salary annually until the entire trust is donated away, right?

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https://executor.org/resource/executor-fees-by-state/



a lot of general information here:

https://www.getsnug.com/post/executor-fees-in-washington

you can read his will here:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/read-paul-allens-last-will-and-testament/281-613283735

***********************************************************************

I'd be skeptical Jody Allen's fee is as low as 1%. Could be I guess but I doubt it. I don't know if there is any provision in the Paul Allen Trust documents stipulating how the proceeds from the sale of the Blazers was handled. I read somewhere a couple of years ago that the sale proceeds had to be directly donated to charities. I don't know if that's true or if the proceed are just deposited into the trust. IIRC, the stipulation was that any conversion of assets into cash had to then be donated. Again, I don't know if that's accurate

about 18 months ago PA's art collection was sold for 1.6B:

https://crosscut.com/culture/2022/11/16b-sale-paul-allens-art-collection-looms-over-seattle

Rastapopoulos said:

Yeah, like when Walton destroyed his ankle. Or Oden blew out his knee (for the nth time). Or Roy's cartilage evaporated.

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Exactly.

Or when we traded for Buck. I remember the same type of conversation before that happened. You never know

julius said:

damnit Jody, Bert Kolde, Chauncey and or Joe Cronin!

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And don't forget Ayton and Scoot. Everything is their fault.

oldfisherman said:

I try to stay out of negative Blazer discussions. Lately, that is all of them.

I am also very disappointed in the very limited progress made to player development. But...

What has me worried for the future is.. We have one of the worst NBA teams, with a salary load that is scratching the luxury tax line. Worse yet. Next seasons salary load is in the same range.

Unless a major trade is made in the off season. Next season's results will be similiar to this season.

There is very little, if any, salary room to work with untill the 25/26 season.

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Does that matter because… you think we should sign free agents? Help me understand.

it’s not like they’re over the first apron or in danger of triggering the repeater. Functionally they should be fine and they’ll likely exit a salary or two this summer.

Samuel said:

Does that matter because… you think we should sign free agents? Help me understand.

it’s not like they’re over the first apron or in danger of triggering the repeater. Functionally they should be fine and they’ll likely exit a salary or two this summer.

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The Blazers salary is hard capped, due to the GP ll signing. We could not add any additional salary, for any reason, this season.

This hard cap probably limited the trade options at the dead line.

Since the hard cap is not removed until June 30, it "may" also affect the trade options during the draft.

oldfisherman said:

The Blazers salary is hard capped, due to the GP ll signing. We could not add any additional salary, for any reason, this season.

This hard cap probably limited the trade options at the dead line.

Since the hard cap is not removed until June 30, it "may" also affect the trade options during the draft.

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that hard cap was last season

oldfisherman said:

The Blazers salary is hard capped, due to the GP ll signing. We could not add any additional salary, for any reason, this season.

This hard cap probably limited the trade options at the dead line.

Since the hard cap is not removed until June 30, it "may" also affect the trade options during the draft.

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there are some in the fanbase hyperfocusing on the tax thing, likely because of scoot, sharpe’s injury and the norm/roco trade. Portland waited out the cold deadline market in favor of the summer when there may be more motivated buyers. I wouldn’t worry about it.

wizenheimer said:

that hard cap was last season

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Not sure why, but sportrac shows the Blazers hard capped
for the 23/24 season.

I believe the GP ll hard cap ended last season, as you said.

oldfisherman said:

Not sure why, but sportrac shows the Blazers hard capped
for the 23/24 season.

I believe the GP ll hard cap ended last season, as you said.

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looking at Spotrac for Portland I think what you're seeing is just a marker for what the hard cap line is for everybody, not that Portland is hard-capped

wizenheimer said:

looking at Spotrac for Portland I think what you're seeing is just a marker for what the hard cap line is for everybody, not that Portland is hard-capped

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https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portlan...and Trail Blazers,any point during the season.

It says under:
2023/24 Portland Trail Blazers salary cap totals,

"this team is currently hard capped."

Am I reading it wrong?

oldfisherman said:

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/cap/#:~:text=2023-24 Portland Trail Blazers,any point during the season.

It says under:
2023/24 Portland Trail Blazers salary cap totals,

"this team is currently hard capped."

Am I reading it wrong?

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ok...I see it there now

my guess is that it might have to do with Thybulle. Dallas offered him the MLE and Portland matched. I assumed, since the Blazers had bird rights, they used Bird Rights to match and didn't have to use any of the MLE. Maybe not; maybe they had to match with their own MLE

however, above that section you pointed too, Spotrac says Portland still has over 10M of the MLE left (only used it on Reath), so that would seem to elimate the MLE as the cause of the hard cap

so then:

the MLE is out; the BAE is out; Portland didn't take a player in a S&T

that leaves taking back more than 110% of outgoing salary in a trade. Blazers took back a shade under 70M in the Dame trade. They sent out about 71M, so that isn't it

it must have been the Banton trade then

Natebishop3 said:

And don't forget Ayton and Scoot. Everything is their fault.

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And here's a picture of Terry Scott drinking a beer at the Timbers game....

julius said:

And here's a picture of Terry Scott drinking a beer at the Timbers game....

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Thorns are at home tonight, NOT Timbers..... (Uber Driver type of response, sorry)

we might not have a winning season for years to come. we have kind struck out in the draft recently. missing on top picks really set you back Ie see the kings up until recently.

THE HCP said:

Thorns are at home tonight, NOT Timbers..... (Uber Driver type of response, sorry)

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wizenheimer said:

ok...I see it there now

my guess is that it might have to do with Thybulle. Dallas offered him the MLE and Portland matched. I assumed, since the Blazers had bird rights, they used Bird Rights to match and didn't have to use any of the MLE. Maybe not; maybe they had to match with their own MLE

however, above that section you pointed too, Spotrac says Portland still has over 10M of the MLE left (only used it on Reath), so that would seem to elimate the MLE as the cause of the hard cap

so then:

the MLE is out; the BAE is out; Portland didn't take a player in a S&T

that leaves taking back more than 110% of outgoing salary in a trade. Blazers took back a shade under 70M in the Dame trade. They sent out about 71M, so that isn't it

it must have been the Banton trade then

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Or sportrac is wrong.

RR7 said:

I know eventually the goal is to give away most of Paul's estate, presumably, in some fashion or another. And there's concern about her collecting a paycheck, so not wanting to sell the franchise. I'm ignorant of these things, so am unsure how exactly this works. Working off of generic #s...

Current estate valued at 20 billion. Lets say that includes the Seahawks valued at 5, the Blazers at 3. So rest of estate in whatever holdings is 12. Let's say her salary is 1% of estate. So what, 100 million annually?

If she sells the Seahawks for their estimated worth in a straight cash deal with Bezos, the estate would still be worth 20 billion no? And she would still collect the same salary? Until that 5 billion is given away. So selling both franchises doesn't eliminate her high presumed salary annually until the entire trust is donated away, right?

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Don't think we can know this without seeing details of estate agreements and those will likely always be private.

Could be as you say. Or it could be cash proceeds have to be turned over to x charities at such deadline. Or that management fee is only based on noncash assets. Etc etc

Before the season what were the Blazers rank of assets? I'd probably have had it:

Scoot
Sharpe
Ant
Brogdon
Murray
Timelord
Ayton
Grant
Other rookies

In terms of pick values:
Blazers own picks
MIL pick
MIL swaps
BOS pick
GS pick

GS pick looks better than we thought even if they get in the playoffs. Grants contract looks a tad better. Camera and Rupert look better but they probably aren't first round value.

Every other player looks worse and less valuable. Scoot value is by far the highest disappointment of the season. I guess maybe Ant is next, although it wasn't like Sharpe has done better.

Yeah Camera Walker Reath are nice stories but these are guys trying to become limited backup role players, they just don't have much relevance to the Blazers becoming a playoff team. We need some guys who are at least discussed as quality starters. We don't need a bunch of Nicholas Batums. They would contribute as much to winning as Batum did in Charlotte.

The biggest disappointment is the serious questions if we have a single player who can develop into an above average starter on this roster. I'm not saying contender or a star player, just a useful starter. We might have none of that right now which is super depressing.

Add to that a historically weak draft and the normal timeline of 2025/2026 rookies likely taking years to develop and it looks like it could be a lost decade as a Blazers fan until 2030+

Yeah I don't watch games much at all anymore and don't miss it. I'll always be a hardcore Blazers fan, but when there is little hope of any relevance for many years or longer it's hard for even the optimists to have much excitement. It's not just the losing. If we were losing but two of Scoot Sharpe Ant looked good I'd be having a ton of fun rooting for a new direction. Instead it's the scrub Banton show.

I saw a batch of draft commenters on Blazers Edge infiltrate the 60 point loss to Miami discussion. Comps were flying off the shelf. Drafting X,Y Z. college kids this summer, then winning the championship with this Blazers team as constructed.

..? I realize fans can be excited about March Madness and 3 Blazer picks, but championships and Portland basketball immediately following a wretched beatdown in this flatlined season...

Portland's armchair GM's have gone nuts

Whyachi said:

Portland's armchair GM's have gone nuts

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Fans are also calling for the owner to sell the team, GM to be fired, coach to be fired and all of the players to be traded away except Rayan Rupert.

I realize fans can be sad about losing, but maybe firing everyone and all of the players is a little rash.

Samuel said:

Fans are also calling for the owner to sell the team, GM to be fired, coach to be fired and all of the players to be traded away except Rayan Rupert.

I realize fans can be sad about losing, but maybe firing everyone and all of the players is a little rash.

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Hmmm?
3 not 1 or 2 but 3 of the worst losses in the history of the NBA and 2 of them are this season under this coach, GM, owner. Some of those ideas might be valid?

kjironman1 said:

Hmmm?
3 not 1 or 2 but 3 of the worst losses in the history of the NBA and 2 of them are this season under this coach, GM, owner. Some of those ideas might be valid?

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no comment on your point, I just got stuck on you start

"3 not 1 or 2 but 3" is pretty catchy. Like a chant for dyslexic physicists or the beginning of a nursery rhyme for nitwits. A phrase devoid of comma but desperately in need of one; or even two. The first line of a bad poem; or of a brilliant poem if nobody can figure wtf it means...

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
I like the 1, I don't like thee

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
buy them all the 4th is free

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
I like vodka, do you ski?
at least that's what she said to me

wizenheimer said:

no comment on your point, I just got stuck on you start

"3 not 1 or 2 but 3" is pretty catchy. Like a chant for dyslexic physicists or the beginning of a nursery rhyme for nitwits. A phrase devoid of comma but desperately in need of one; or even two. The first line of a bad poem; or of a brilliant poem if nobody can figure wtf it means...

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
I like the 1, I don't like thee

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
buy them all the 4th is free

3 not 1 or 2 but 3
I like vodka, do you ski?
at least that's what she said to me

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But losing by 60 isn't catchy so there was a need and I guess I filled it?

kjironman1 said:

But losing by 60 isn't catchy so there was a need and I guess I filled it?

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well, you can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime, you'll find
you get what you need

kjironman1 said:

Hmmm?
3 not 1 or 2 but 3 of the worst losses in the history of the NBA and 2 of them are this season under this coach, GM, owner. Some of those ideas might be valid?

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my point is that everyone is going a little crazy rn, it’s not just so-called armchair gm’s projecting unreasonable optimism onto the draft.

the truth is somewhere in the middle. dump chauncey and cash in on a couple of vets this offseason. Trading the whole roster 30 seconds into the post-dame era for pennies sounds like insanity, but maybe that’s just me.

Samuel said:

my point is that everyone is going a little crazy rn, it’s not just so-called armchair gm’s projecting unreasonable optimism onto the draft.

the truth is somewhere in the middle. dump chauncey and cash in on a couple of vets this offseason. Trading the whole roster 30 seconds into the post-dame era for pennies sounds like insanity, but maybe that’s just me.

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Agreed. Already giving up would be a mistake, and arguably set the team back further than Olshey did in the 10 years he ran the team.

Samuel said:

Trading the whole roster 30 seconds into the post-dame era for pennies sounds like insanity, but maybe that’s just me.

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You're right - it should've been done YEARS ago.

Rastapopoulos said:

You're right - it should've been done YEARS ago.

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Ooh, I gotta hear this. go on…